I was never able to review this book as it never downloaded properly. I tried several times communicating back and forth with netgalley but discovered something wrong with my device. I was never able to resend it in order to read it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
“In the Blink of an Eye” is the newest novel by Australian novelist Jesse Blackadder, set for release in March 2019 (this novel was released in Australia in 2017, under the title “Sixty Seconds”.) I am new to this author, and she delivered quite an emotional and powerful ride with this novel.
To save his marriage, Finn uproots his wife, Bridget, and sons, Jarrah and Toby, and moves them from Tasmania to arid, dry, and unbearably hot New South Wales. The family tries to adapt to their new life, with Jarrah starting at a new high school, Bridget finding and starting a new job and Finn staying home to care for young Toby, while trying to complete his art pieces. One afternoon, an unsupervised Toby goes missing and is discovered, by Bridget, lifeless and face down in the family pool. What follows is a journey of loss, grief, blame and recovery, as the family tries to come to terms with their loss.
“Eye” was told from the viewpoints of Bridget, Finn and Jarrah. Each change in narration was clearly marked, so the reader would know which protagonist was speaking. Although the novel was laid out this way, Blackadder still alternated her “tense”, depending on the narrator; using third person for Finn, second person for Bridget and first person for Jarrah. I found this to be unnecessary and a little confusing, as well as Blackadder’s choice to use shortened sentences, especially when Bridget was narrating (for example “I got up and went outside and went to the pool” became “got up. Went to pool.”). The novel was not overly long, so this seemed more for style than for length.
Grammar aside, this novel was gripping and deeply emotional. The characters were so openly wounded that it was impossible to not completely emphasize with each one. The storyline itself was believable (since a similar experience had happened to the writers’ family when she was growing up, Blackadder’s storytelling was on point here), and heartbreaking.
This story has a little bit of everything, and I struggle to fit it into a particular “genre” box, but it will certainly tug on the heartstrings. Blackadder has introduced me to her works in the best way possible, and I was unexpectedly surprised by how touched I was by this novel. Blackadder is not one to be overlooked, and I will be keeping my eye out for future novels!

A powerful story of grief, love, loss and forgiveness, be prepared to have the tissues at the ready as you will need them!

In the Blink of an Eye by Jesse Blackadder is a family drama that follows one family during their time of tragedy. Told from the point of view of both parents and a teenage son this one is an emotional ride from start to finish.

Finn and Bridget Brennan have been married for years and are the proud and happy parents to their two sons, teenage Jarrah and toddler Toby. The family had just made the move from a chillier climate to one of sunshine and warmth in order for Bridget to care for her mother.

Bridget is used to being the bread winner of the family working full time while Finn had been the more hands on parent as he dabbled in a career as an artist. The family however had just gotten the great news that Finn may just have gotten a big break when unfortunately tragedy hits them full force.

After finishing this book I read that Jesse Blackadder wrote this one in tribute to her own family and what they had gone through and it made sense to me how she captured the characters and the emotions. There is obviously no right or wrong way to behave when faced with difficult times and the three characters in the book each have their own ways of coping and grieving so that the story just oozes with emotion as they go through the loss, the anger, the grief, the blame and all other emotions.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is the perfect title!
How fast a catastrophe can occur! In a blink of an eye!
Can the fragments of family life be picked up and resemble any type of "normal" following a devastating tragedy?
A novel of grief, hope and blame, following a family aberration that had me turning the pages to also find out "who did it or rather who did not do it"?
It's heartbreaking, painful and certainly had me questioning each of the characters in this book.
Yet, what was answered is that forgiveness to oneself is key to survival for all.
A descriptive, beautifully written story!

I love the title - anything can happen in the blink of an eye, and your life is changed forever.

Finn, Bridget, Jarrah, and Toby have recently moved, and are still adjusting to their new community. Finn is a stay at home Artist dad for their 2 boys (aged 16 and 2), while Bridget is a Scientist. While Jarrah struggles to fit in the teenage crowd at school, Toby is the light of everyone's lives. Life throws them an exciting new opportunity when Finn's agent calls to let them know that his work made it to a new show, but he must finish a couple of pieces quickly. This requires a slight shift in family responsibilities, but Bridget is happy to accommodate, in order for Finn's dream to come true. As they all prepare for the day, the unthinkable happens, and their lives are changed forever.

This is the story of a family struggling to make it through an unbearable grief, both trying to protect each other, and trying hard not to blame each other. Highly recommended.

Intimate, raw and beautiful."—Bryan Reardon, New York Times bestselling author of Finding Jake

“A captivating, visceral, beautifully written story…The characters were so real and relatable that I was riveted.”—Robyn Harding, international bestselling author of The Party

This is a deeply emotional story of a family who make a life change, moving to a new city, different weather and careers.
Just as the familyof four are starting to adjust, the unthinkable tradgedy of loosing a child, happens.

In the devastating aftermath, questions are raised about what really happened? And who's to blame. The outcome that follows braks the heart and soul of this family unit. Will they survive?

In the Blink of an Eye - a perfectly fitting title to this story.
Anything can happen Inthe Blink of an Eye.

Huge praise for Jesse Blackadder. Looking forward to more from this author in the future.

This book is tragic, yet beautiful. It’s about love: losing love, finding love, enduring and lasting love. It wasn’t perfect and at first I almost gave up on it, but I hung in there until the end and am glad I did. This story could happen to anyone and there is no right or wrong response to the grief of losing someone, of not knowing how exactly that person went to their death, and blaming everyone and no one and yourself all at once. It was an ARC from NetGalley and I’m sure it will be polished to a brilliant shine before publishing day, but it’s a good story as is.

This is a tough book for me to pin down. The topic is emotionally wrought and something I've never experienced. It must have been a difficult book for the author to write, and no doubt it was a labor of love. 

The prose is slow moving and beautiful and I felt like I could truly empathize with Jarrah and Finn, but I had real difficulty connecting with Bridget. I don't think I felt as much sympathy for her as I was supposed to, and she was very dislike-able. 

The story is told from three points of view--those of Jarrah, Bridget, and Finn, in first, second, and third person. It was a unique use of narration, but it didn't really work for me. It was a little disorienting to read Bridget's experience in the second person, and is probably part of why it was so difficult for me to connect. 

I know that for many, this will be a compelling read that with resonate through grief and healing, so I do recommend it to those of you who enjoy family dramas and a good cry, but it was just not the book for me. 

I received an ARC from St. Martin's Press, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

In the Blink of an Eye was originally published under the title Sixty Seconds in October of 2017. Expected publication is March 19, 2019.

Finn and Bridget and their sons Jarrah and Toby move to Murwillumbah, New South Wales. They are enjoying their new house and their new pool. Jarrah is having a hard time making friends at school as he is 16 and in a new school. He loves his little brother Toby and spends a great deal of time with him. When tragedy strikes, this family is broken. The story is told by Finn, Bridget, and Jarrah in alternating chapters and the reader gets the entire story. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin Press. All opinions are my own.

If there is one thing I can say for certain after reading In the Blink of an Eye, it is that Jesse Blackadder can write, and manipulate the emotions of the readers. She has done that so beautifully in this book, that I am falling short of words to describe the same.

The agony, the mind-numbing thoughts, the feeling of losing control over life, and many other such emotions that appear in the wake of a tragedy are vividly depicted in the book, and that too from different perspectives of people of different gender and age groups. I really liked the way the content is being presented in chunks, just enough to maintain a smooth flow of the story till the end.

Two things that I found disappointing:
1. Lot of grammatical mistakes. I hope those are just present in the pre-published version, as another round of proofreading should resolve the issue.

2. The final piece of the puzzle is left open for interpretation. Although I understand that the point of the story was not how it happened, but what happened afterwards, but since the author spun a story to bring the point home, it would have been good to know how she thought it happened. Also, the ending is simply stretched in my opinion, and it would have been better if she had done away with it.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

Verdict: Recommended.

A wonderful moving and intense story of a family that falls to pieces after a tragedy and their attempts to put themselves back together again. Poignant, well written and while a sad story, comes ultimate redemption. Highly recommend,

In the blink of an eye is how long it can take to lose track of where your beautiful and smart 2 year old has wandered off to, and how long to realize that someone **spoiler alert** left the pool gate unlatched and your son is lying face down in the water.

This is a very sad (understatement) rendering of something that happens all too often, as the author knows all too well. To watch this family, already with some rips in its seams, get completely shred to pieces is difficult and emotional. It's really well thought out and told. I loved the epilogue.

My only complaints are these: Telling the mother's version of the story in second person. "You" did this and then "you" did that. Who is saying this and to whom? Caught me off guard but I did get used to it.
1/2 star deducted.

Also there are paragraphs and paragraphs of incomplete sentences, which always throws off my rhythm until I see why it is so. For example, instead of someone saying, "I got up and I walked to the kitchen," it would be more like "Got up. Went to the kitchen. Remembered something." I mean, I write personal emails like that in the interest of time, but find it unprofessional otherwise. Just my own opinion and personal preference.
Another 1/2 star deduction.

Otherwise, let me say that I couldn't put this down. I cared about the family and whether they would heal themselves as individuals and help each other to heal as a unit. A big thank you to NetGalley and to Jordan Hanley of St Martin's Press.

This was an interesting read. It was well written and did a good job of detailing each family members way of dealing with their grief. I found the ending to be rather abrupt and for me leaving the book 'unfinished', resulting in a four-star rating rather than a five.

After the Brennan family’s move from Tasmania to New South Wales, 17-year-old Jarrah felt out of place, and the only constant in his life was the love he had for his 2-year-old brother Toby. The boys’ father, Finn, was a freelance artist who was changing mediums from wood to metal, and had designed several pieces for the pool gates, and was also the primary caregiver for Toby. Bridget, their mother, worked full time, relying on Finn and Jarrah to keep Toby occupied.

When Finn won a coveted spot in a prestigious show, Bridget took on the morning routine so Finn could work on his steampunk-inspired sculpture. While Finn was in the studio and Bridget in the bathroom, Toby somehow slipped out of the house, through the pool gate, and drowned in the swimming pool.

Toby’s death shattered the family, breaking Jarrah’s heart and causing him to question everything. Finn’s subsequent arrest and Bridget’s interest in a co-worker left Jarrah alone in his grief and confusion.

Told in alternating chapters by Finn, Bridget, and Jarrah, this book is rich with emotion and the almost unbearable pain of losing someone who is cherished and adored.

This book sounded interesting from the write up but I was disappointed and couldn't get into the storyline or the characters.

It didn't feel like a story just someone reaming words off, a bit like a report as someone has already said and I did give up on it just after the middle.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

If you want to walk out of your life and into another, feel the love, the pain, the loneliness, the entire gamut of emotions of someone other than yourself, even if only for a glimpse, this is your book.
The subject is a difficult one to write about. A family loses their two-year-old in an accident when he drowns in the family pool. Sadly, this is a common occurrence but not many authors will attempt to put it on paper. Jesse Blackadder wasn’t afraid. She exposes human nature; the ugliness, the sacredness, the harsh reality, and the will to live that’s kept us in perpetual motion for centuries.
I strongly recommend this book, this author, and I salute her for her honest portrayal of human angst.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for making it available.)

I was invited to read, sounded like a good book.
started reading...
Introduction compares swimming pool functions to a human body.
I was intrigued.
Very descriptive- loved wording and descriptions.

Time is measured in before and after the event.
I can relate to that viewpoint.

60 seconds can change a life and the ripple effects will forever be changed.

Finn is working on a wood project but hes suppose to work on a clock.”he’d left the kids to their own devices and now she was home and it was Friday . That meant a bottle of wine with dinner and probably she’d want to make love to throw off the week and he’d want to make love because the sensuality of the wood under his hands all day.” Finn and his family lives in a purple weather board house after move many miles away.



Jarrah: dad distracted by art “mum busy and important and not home from work,me trying to do homework and Toby trying to stop me changing towns hadn’t changed that.”

“Two reasons he was my bestimate friend.first the obvious .he was the only one who never judged me.never looked at me weirdly never thought something was wrong with me.” “Noone would have blamed me for being jealous of toby.the second reason the one I kept secret .I wished my voice could pull him out of his dreams and back into this world. I wished he loves me most the way I loved him wished he asbmine. ” I thought it weird the whole family swam naked . I loved seeing how family reacted to tragedy and the different points of view. I was wrapped up in their world and couldn’t stop reading.

I just couldn’t get engaged with this book. The story revolved around the same trauma throughout the entire novel. I kept wanting for a twist... like who kept the gate open?
I could imagine this tragedy happening, but nothing described in this story was a surprise.
I feel empathy for the author and their experience. But, this novel didn’t have the X factor.